Gender Inequality in Kazakhstan's Education and Research System: Stratification and Leadership Gaps
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47703/ejgs.v2i4.95Keywords:
Gender inequality, Gender, Gender Segregation, Education, Higher Education, Educational Leadership, Academic Career, KazakhstanAbstract
The question of gender inequality in education and science has emerged as a central focus of international and national development agendas. However, the existence of inequality in academic and administrative structures reveals that equal academic access does not guarantee equal gender treatment. In the context of the given problem, the research aims to outline the structural characteristics of gender inequality in the education and science sector in Kazakhstan in relation to academic degree awarded, age, academic discipline, and administration. The results show that gender inequalities persist. Although women represent a majority of Master's degree holders and a large number of Candidates of Sciences and PhD holders and graduates, they remain underrepresented in substantial numbers in the category of Doctors of Science, thereby creating a strong “leaky pipe” effect. Analysis shows that younger generations have ensured greater gender equality; however, this does not ensure equality for senior academic staff. Horizontal segregation persists; women continue to represent education, health, and social sciences in large numbers, while men continue to represent fields like engineering and ICT. Analysis of senior administrative staff shows that women represent only a marginal number of heads in institutions offering general education and TVET. The results reveal that the inequality between the sexes in education and research in Kazakhstan is institutionally entrenched and cumulative. The study emphasizes that an effective policy for promoting gender equity should target not only access equity but also mobility, senior management, and field choice.
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